Chest and shoulder protector



May 6, 1947. s. NORDLING CHEST AND SHOULDER PROTECTQR Filed Feb. 14, 1944 I N V EN TOR. J7 NORDLING A TTORNEY Patented May 6, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHEST AND SHOULDER, PROTECTOR Selma Nordling, iPasadena, Calif. Application February 14, 1944, Serial No. 522,244

6 Claims.

1 The present invention relates to wearing apparel and has particular reference to a garnient adapted to protect a person whose chest, shoulders and arms are exposed to excessive Many persons, such as welders, spend hours bent over heated spaces or surfaces and for this reason require some sort of garment capable of protecting the exposed body portions against the rising heat. Such protective covering usually takes the form of a heavy jacket or coat which, while it may effectively prevent the rising heat from directly striking most of the exposed chest and other front body surfaces, also covers the back surfaces of the body and arms. Such garments therefore also effectively prevent escape from the body and arms of the heat which under such conditions naturally will accumulate within the garments and so become extremely uncomfortable to the wearer. Another objection to wearing a jacket or coat is that it seriously interferes with the arm and body movements and so is instrumental in reducing the production capacity of the wearer.

'I-Iaving these conditions in View, it is the object of my invention to provide a garment which, while effectively covering the parts of the body and arms which require protection, is entirely open at the back for escape of body heat such as will accumulate under such circumstances. It is a further object to provide a protective garment which will in no way impede freedom of arm and body movements. Another object is to provide a garment which may quickly be adjusted to fit the wearer and, once having been so adjusted, may be removed and again put on without the necessity of readjustment. In this manner, it is possible for the merchant to keep 'in stock a supply of this single garment and to fit it to the wearer while explaining the uses and benefits thereof.

A garment embodyin the features above outlined is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and the objects as well as the many advantageous features of the invention are fully set forth in the, following description.

In the drawings:

1 is a front view of a garment embodying the, invention;

Fig. 2 is a substantially corresponding view of the garment as viewed from the rear;

Fig. 3 is a rear view of a person fitted with the garment; and

Fig. 4 is a detail view of adjustable fastening elements for use in connection therewith.

The device of my invention, as illustrated in .2 the drawings, comprises two main portions l, 2, which combine to form a complete cover garment for the chest and arms. The part 2 is shown fitted on its inner surface with a row of buttons 3, which are arranged to engage rows of button holes 4, 5, 6 of the part I. As shown in Fig. 2, the buttons are seated in the button holes 6 to accommodate a person of small chest measure, and they may be shifted to one of the other rows of button holes to fit larger sizes. While only three rows of button holes are shown, it is to he understood that more rows may be added, if desired, and the part widened correspondingly in order that the garment may be expanded to take care of all sizes ordinarily carried in stock on the store counters. Once the parts have been properly adjusted, they remain unchanged while serving the same person until for some reason it becomes necessary to separate them. The shoulder cover I 2 are shown extended into sleeves 'l', 8, covering only the front and outer side portions of the arms, and bands 9, II) are added to tie the outer corners of the sleeves together.

From this brief description, it is seen that the shoulders, the chest and the front and sides of the upper arm portions of the person wearing the garment are entirely covered, but that the device is entirely open at the back. A person spending much time bent over heated surfaces is in this manner fully protected, and excess body heat is free to escape through the open back of the gare ment. It is also important to note that the buttons are on the inside of the garment, leaving its outer surface free and unencumbered.

From the inner, rear corners of the shoulder covers extend cords or tapes H, 12, and a short fabric sleeve I3 is mounted to slide on these tapes, thereby to adjust the shoulder portions,

distance from the tape attachment points at.

the inner corners of the shoulder portions to the waist line. determined, and before the ends of the tapes are threaded through the strap passages, it is.

advisable to tie the tapes together a short distance above the waist line, substantially as indicated When this distance has been at l8. When thereupon the tapes are threaded through the straps, it is found that their ends may be drawn together and tied into a bow-knot, substantially as indicated at l9, thereby not only to draw the bottom of the garment snugly about the waist, but also in order to pull the inner shoulder corners toward each other as well as downward.

While the garment is now snugly fitted about the upper part of the wearers body, it is seen that it affords the wearer complete freedom of arm and body movements and that the shoulder portions are held firmly in position so that they cannot slip over the shoulders. But the neck of the wearer is left entirely unencumbered, no straps being present to chafe and strangle.

It is important to note that only a few seconds are required to adjust the garment to the wearers measurements, and that it may remain so adjusted until other conditions make readjustment necessary.

It was above suggested to tie the tapes ll, [2 together at I8, this being the most economical securing means. A more convenient method is illustrated in Fig. 4, where a clasp 20 is substituted. This type of clasp may be readily moved along the tapes before they are drawn together to fit the garment about the waist and will not become dislocated in response to body movements, but will stay rigidly in position until again manually adjusted. This clasp may be made from a suitable plastic composition or metal, as preferred. The same type of clasp may also replace the knot shown at I3.

I claim:

1. A garment comprising two separate portions for covering the chest shoulders and front of the arms of a person but leaving the back of the person substantially uncovered thereby, means for relatively adjusting the two portions of said garment to suit the width measurements of chest and shoulders, means fastening the two portions together in adjusted position, guides extending from the outer bottom corners of the garment, and bands extendable from the shoulder portions thereof down the back of the wearer for insertion through said guides to draw the garment snugly over the shoulders and about the waist of the wearer.

2. A garment comprising two separate portions for covering the chest shoulders and front of the arms of a person but substantially open at the back thereof, means for relatively adjusting said portions to suit the width measurements of chest and shoulders, means fastening the two portions together in adjusted position, guides extending from the outer bottom corners of the garment, and bands extending from the shoulder portions thereof down along the back of the wearer for insertion through said guides to draw the garment snugly over the shoulders and about the waist of the wearer, the bands being manipulated to draw the shoulder portions snugly around the neck of the wearer and then tied together near the, shoulder portions to maintain this position.

3. A garment comprising two separate portions for covering the chest shoulders and front of the arms of a person but substantally open at the back thereof, means for adjusting said portions to suit the width measurements of chest and shoulders, means fastening the two portions together in adjusted position, guides extending from the outer bottom corners of the garment, bands extending from the shoulder portions thereof to reach down the back of the wearer and insertable through said guides to draw the garment snugly over the shoulders and about the waist of the wearer, and means slidable on said bands to draw the shoulder portions around the neck of the wearer.

4. A garment comprising two separate portions for covering the chest shoulders and front of the arms of a person but substantially open at the back thereof, means for adjusting said portions to suit the width measurements of chest and shoulders, means for fastening the two portions together in adjusted position, guides extending from the outer bottom corners of the garment, said guides having each a series of passages therethrough, and bands extending from the shoulder portions to reach the back of the wearer and insertable through the passages of said guides most nearly registering with the waistline to draw the garment snugly over the shoulders and about the waist of the wearer.

5. A chest and shoulder protecting garment comprising two separate chest portions relatively adjustable to body width, means for fastening the two portions together in adjusted position, each portion having a shoulder portion and an arm portion for covering the front and top of the shoulders and arms, the garment having no back, guides extending from the outer bottom corners of the chest portions, and bands extending from the inner corners of the shoulder portions to reach down the back of the wearer, the bands being insertable through said guides and fastened together to draw the garment snugly over the shoulders and about the waist of the wearer.

6. A chest and shoulder protecting garment comprising two separate chest portions relatively adjustable laterally to suit body sizes, means for fastening the two portions together in adjusted position, each chest portion having a shoulder portion and an arm portion for covering the front and top of the shoulders and arms, the garment having no back cover for the body, guides extending from the outer bottom corners of the chest portions, bands extending from the.

inner corners of the shoulder portions to reach down the back of the wearer, the bands bein insertable through said guides and fastened together to draw the garment snugly over the shoulders and about the waist of the wearer, and means slidable on the upper end of, said bands for drawing theshoulder portions snugly around the neck of the wearer.

SELMA NORDLING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,123,314 Quinn July-12, 1938 2,115,396 Quinn Apr. 26, 1938 431,332 Chadwick July 1, 1890 1,933,185 Rouleau Oct. 31, 1933 1,478,349 Oberndorfer Dec. 18, 1923 1,389,689 Parker Sept. 6, 1921 2,148,152 Dosberg Feb. 21, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 17,947 British 1909 4,607 British 1915 

